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The Black community is one of the fastest growing communities in America this decade.
There are now 42 million people who identify as Black or African American living in America, making up 12% of the total population. According to the most recent American Community Survey, the Black population in Maryland is 1,806,220 - at 29.4% of the total population of Maryland.
The percentage growth of Blacks in America is the third largest percentage change for any race according to the Census's race and ethnicity definition. As most scholars and historians agree, an increase in the diversity in America is a good thing.
We agree.
But how has the increase in the black population impacted Maryland? Which cities and towns in Maryland have seen the greatest increase in its Black population?
We broke down the most recent census data to determine the cities in Maryland with the largest African American population in 2023:
What's the blackest city in Maryland? District Heights took the number one over all spot for the largest Black population in Maryland for 2023. See if it ranked as one of the most african american cities in America.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town ranked.
To see where Maryland ranked as a state on diversity, we have a ranking of the most diverse states in America.
And if you already knew these places were Black, check out the best places to live in Maryland or the most diverse places in Maryland.
The 10 Blackest Cities In Maryland For 2023
1. District Heights
/10
Population: 5,927
% African American: 94.72%
# Of African American Residents: 5,614
Percent Change Since 2010: 7.92%
More on District Heights: Real Estate | Data | Photos
2. Glenarden
/10
Population: 6,341
% African American: 84.64%
# Of African American Residents: 5,367
Percent Change Since 2010: -2.88%
More on Glenarden: Real Estate | Data
3. Bladensburg
/10
Population: 9,591
% African American: 62.48%
# Of African American Residents: 5,992
Percent Change Since 2010: 2.17%
More on Bladensburg: Real Estate | Data | Photos
4. Baltimore
/10
Population: 592,211
% African American: 60.94%
# Of African American Residents: 360,899
Percent Change Since 2010: -9.13%
More on Baltimore: Real Estate | Data | Photos
5. New Carrollton
/10
Population: 13,574
% African American: 60.8%
# Of African American Residents: 8,253
Percent Change Since 2010: 22.34%
More on New Carrollton: Real Estate | Data | Photos
6. Bowie
/10
Population: 58,113
% African American: 56.55%
# Of African American Residents: 32,862
Percent Change Since 2010: 32.09%
More on Bowie: Real Estate | Data | Photos
7. Laurel
/10
Population: 29,438
% African American: 50.08%
# Of African American Residents: 14,744
Percent Change Since 2010: 27.7%
More on Laurel: Real Estate | Data | Photos
8. Mount Rainier
/10
Population: 8,290
% African American: 47.37%
# Of African American Residents: 3,927
Percent Change Since 2010: -14.87%
More on Mount Rainier: Real Estate | Data | Photos
9. Cheverly
/10
Population: 6,191
% African American: 45.52%
# Of African American Residents: 2,818
Percent Change Since 2010: -9.24%
More on Cheverly: Real Estate | Data | Photos
10. Greenbelt
/10
Population: 24,602
% African American: 45.0%
# Of African American Residents: 11,070
Percent Change Since 2010: -0.25%
More on Greenbelt: Real Estate | Data | Photos
Methodology: How We Determined The Cities In Maryland With The Largest Black Population For 2023
We still believe in the accuracy of data -- especially from the census. So that's where we went to get the breakdown of race across Maryland.
That lead us to the Census's most recently available data, the 2017-2021 American Community Survey data from the US Census.
Specifically, we looked at table B03002: Hispanic OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE. Here are the category names as defined by the Census:
- Hispanic or Latino
- White alone*
- Black or African American alone*
- American Indian and Alaska Native alone*
- Asian alone*
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone*
- Some other race alone*
- Two or more races*
Our particular column of interest here was the number of people who identified as Black or African American.
We limited our analysis to non-CDPs with a population greater than 5,000 people. That left us with 39 cities.
We then calculated the percent of residents that are Black or African American. The percentages ranked from 94.7% to 0.4%.
Finally, we ranked each city based on the percent of Black population with a higher score being more Black than a lower score. District Heights took the distinction of being the most Black, while Ocean City was the least African American city. You can download the data here.
Read on for more information on how the cities in Maryland ranked by population of African American residents or, for a more general take on diversity in America, head over to our ranking of the most diverse cities in America.
Summary: Black Populations Across Maryland
If you're looking for a breakdown of African American populations across Maryland according to the most recent data, this is an accurate list.
If you're curious enough, here are the least African American places in Maryland:
- Ocean City
- Thurmont
- Hampstead
For more Maryland reading, check out:
African American Population By City In Maryland
Rank | City | % African American |
---|---|---|
1 | District Heights | 94.72% |
2 | Glenarden | 84.64% |
3 | Bladensburg | 62.48% |
4 | Baltimore | 60.94% |
5 | New Carrollton | 60.8% |
6 | Bowie | 56.55% |
7 | Laurel | 50.08% |
8 | Mount Rainier | 47.37% |
9 | Cheverly | 45.52% |
10 | Greenbelt | 45.0% |
11 | Cambridge | 42.85% |
12 | Salisbury | 39.28% |
13 | Takoma Park | 34.43% |
14 | La Plata | 28.7% |
15 | Hyattsville | 27.21% |
16 | Aberdeen | 23.75% |
17 | Annapolis | 21.92% |
18 | Cheste | 21.41% |
19 | Riverdale Park | 20.94% |
20 | College Park | 20.47% |
21 | Hagerstown | 17.81% |
22 | Frederick | 17.11% |
23 | Gaithersburg | 16.42% |
24 | Havre De Grace | 15.02% |
25 | Elkton | 14.91% |
26 | Frostburg | 14.61% |
27 | Easton | 13.66% |
28 | Rockville | 10.09% |
29 | Brunswick | 9.53% |
30 | Taneytown | 8.03% |
31 | Westminster | 7.82% |
32 | Chesapeake Beach | 7.65% |
33 | Walkersville | 6.8% |
34 | Cumberland | 4.27% |
35 | Mount Airy | 3.4% |
36 | Bel Air | 3.39% |
37 | Hampstead | 1.39% |
38 | Thurmont | 1.3% |
39 | Ocean City | 0.36% |